Orlando Magic 2019 NBA Draft Preview: Orlando Magic Daily’s Mock Draft

The serious candidates

Keldon Johnson was sort of a do-everything guard for the Kentucky Wildcats. He was able to attack on straight line-drives to the basket, hit the three and defend multiple positions. He is the typical Jack-of-all-trades player that become difficult to evaluate in the draft.

Johnson averaged 13.5 points per game and 5.9 rebounds per game. He is a big, strong guard who can defend multiple positions. He shot 38.1 percent from beyond the arc, suggesting his 3-point shooting can come around. But his value is in his versatility as a defender and his solid play offensively. He is a hard-working player who will do whatever the team asks of him.

The Charlotte Hornets love versatile wing players and they will need to bolster their wing depth regardless of what happens in free agency. Johnson fits into the ethos this team has built up during the last several years as a perfect complimentary player.

Few players in this draft are likely to carry the kind of risk that Romeo Langford comes with. If he had stayed healthy last year, he likely would have been among the top picks in the draft. He is such a strong attacker to the basket and scorer that he was effective even playing with a major wrist injury that affected his shot.

It is still unclear just what that wrist injury did to his shot. He was a very poor shooter for the Indiana Hoosiers last year. His form looked poor with shots flying out at low angles. That is something many believe he can correct and the healing up will fix.

What should attract him to the Miami Heat is his fight. The guy played through a major wrist injury and nearly willed the Hoosiers into the playoffs. If he can get healthy, he would be a huge get for a Heat team that has a strong culture but is still rebuilding.

Rui Hachimura is going to be a workhorse for whoever drafts him. He is a big body who can hold his own on the block and position himself to stop drives and protect the rim. He is not a great shot blocker, but he holds his own. On offense, he has good post moves and footwork. Hachimura has a lot of the package you want in a backup power forward.

His lack of height and size could hurt him at the NBA. As will his poor 3-point shooting. Hachimura will have to become a more comfortable 3-point shooter.

But Hachimura will be able to find a good spot in a rotation. He works hard and he defends well. He can get out on the perimeter some defensively. That versatility will help a team like the Boston Celtics tremendously.

There was a time when Nassir Little was considered an easy top-5 pick in this draft. He slowly slipped down the draft board as he struggled to fit in with the North Carolina Tar Heels. They could not really figure out how to use him best, ultimately settling on him at the 4. Toward the end of the season, Little started to find his footing.

Little is a big player for his size. He has the strength to play defense and attack the basket. He will be able to carry through the season and adjust to the physicality. But his 3-point shot has to come around. He was inconsistent at best from the outside. And that is probably what held him back.

Little may end up being that player who works better as a pro than he does within the college game. That is part of the risk in taking him. He can fill out a role, but his talent suggests he should be a whole lot more.